(a) The commission shall develop and implement a program to provide battery backup power for those official traffic control signals, operated by a city, county, or city and county, that the commission, in consultation with cities, counties, or cities and counties, determines to be high priority traffic control signals.

(b) Based on traffic factors considered by cities, counties, or cities and counties, including, but not limited to, traffic volume, number of accidents, and presence of children, the commission shall determine a priority schedule for the installation of battery backup power for traffic control systems. The commission shall give priority to a city, county, or city and county that did not receive a grant from the State of California for the installation of light-emitting diode traffic control signals.

(c) The commission shall also develop or adopt the necessary technical criteria as to wiring, circuitry, and recharging units for traffic control signals. Only light-emitting diodes (LED) traffic control signals are eligible for battery backup power for the full operation of the traffic control signal or a flashing red mode. A city, county, or city and county may apply for a matching grant for battery backup power for traffic control signals retrofitted with light-emitting diodes.

(d) Based on the criteria described in subdivision (c), the commission shall provide matching grants to cities, counties, and cities and counties for backup battery systems described in this section in accordance with the priority schedule established by the commission pursuant to subdivision (b). The commission shall provide 70 percent of the funds for a battery backup system, and the city, county, or city and county shall provide 30 percent.

(e) If a city, county, or city and county has installed a backup battery system for LED traffic control signals between January 1, 2001, and the effective date of the act adding this section, the commission may reimburse the city, county, or city and county for up to 30 percent of the cost incurred for the backup battery system installation. However, the commission may not spend more than one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) for reimbursements pursuant to this subdivision.

(Added by Stats. 2001, 2nd Ex. Sess., Ch. 6, Sec. 1. Effective October 1, 2001.)